Strengthening the Systems that Support Our Teachers

Thursday, 22 January 2026 |
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Policy and Governance in Education

Strengthening the Systems that Support Our Teachers

 


No school-based factor has a greater influence on student learning than the quality of its teachers (OECD, 2025). While policies provide structure, it is teachers—through daily classroom practice—who directly influence learning outcomes. Strengthening the systems that support teachers’ professional development is therefore a critical investment for education systems across the region.


Against this backdrop, the Empowering Teachers Initiative (ETI): Teacher Professional Development at Scale (TPD@Scale) launched its regional study in Bangkok as a back-to-back event with the 48th SEAMEO High Officials Meeting (HOM). The launch convened policymakers, researchers, development partners, school leaders, and teachers to reflect on how TPD can move beyond fragmented activities towards more coherent and sustainable systems.

The regional study, “An Analysis of Teacher Professional Development Systems in Southeast Asia,” was jointly developed by the SEAMEO Secretariat and SEAMEO INNOTECH, with support from FIT-ED and SUMMA under the global TPD@Scale initiative. Informed by input and insight from Ministries of Education from nine Southeast Asian countries — Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Thailand, Timor-Leste, and Viet Nam — the study brings together system-level and classroom perspectives to inform a shared regional understanding of effective TPD systems.


Guided by ETI’s Six Pillars—Policy, ICT, Supporting Capacities, Partnerships, Learning Design, and Communication Channels—the launch featured a panel discussion that highlighted how these elements must function together as an integrated system. Panelists emphasised the importance of aligning professional standards with career pathways, scaling TPD through technology without compromising equity, and strengthening teacher agency by making professional learning relevant to classroom practice.

From the classroom perspective, Ms Uswatun Khasanah, teacher representative from SMA Al Huda Boarding School, Tuban, Indonesia, underscored that effective TPD must respond to real classroom needs. Throughout the panel discussion, the importance of coordination and partnerships emerged. Moderating the session, Mr John Arnold Siena of the SEAMEO Secretariat noted that while innovation across Southeast Asia is abundant, its impact depends on sustained collaboration to better align policies, technologies, and classroom realities.

To continue the dissemination of the findings and engage the broader global community on TPD, a seven-post webinar series will be hosted by the SEAMEO Secretariat starting January 2026. The full report will be released in early 2026.